d sleep so long.

That evening Dr. Abbot called again, although he had been there once
before that day; and when Toby saw how troubled Uncle Daniel and Aunt
Olive looked after he had gone, he asked;

"You don't think Abner is goin' to be sick, do you?"

Uncle Daniel made no reply, and Aunt Olive did not speak for some
moments; then she said:

"I am afraid he stayed out too long this morning; but the doctor hopes
he will be better to-morrow."

If Toby had not been so busily engaged planning for Abner to see the
work next day, he would have noticed that the sick boy was not left
alone for more than a few moments at a time, and that both Uncle Daniel
and Aunt Olive seemed to have agreed not to say anything discouraging to
him regarding his friend's illness.

When he went to bed that night, he fancied Uncle Daniel's voice
trembled, as he said:

"May the good God guard and spare you to me, Toby, boy;" but he gave no
particular thought to the matter, and the sandman threw dust in his eyes
very soon after his head was on the pillow.

In the morning his first question was regarding Abner, and then he was
told that his friend was not nearly so well as he had been; Aunt Olive
even said that Toby had better not go into the sick-room, for fear of
disturbing the invalid.

"Go on with your play by yourself, Toby, boy, and that will be a great
deal better than trying to have Abner join you, until he is much
better," said Uncle Daniel, kindly.

"But hain't he goin' to have a ride this mornin'?"

"No, he is not well enough to get up. You go on building your tent, and
you will be so near the house that you can be called at any moment, if
Abner asks for you."

Toby was considerably disturbed by the fact that he was not allowed to
see his friend, and by the way Uncle Daniel spoke; but he went out to
the barn where his partners were already waiting for him, feeling all
the more sad now because of his elation the day before.

He had no heart for the work, and, after telling the boys that Abner
was sick again, proposed to postpone operations until he should get
better; but they insisted that as they were so near the house, it would
be as well to go on with the work as to remain idle, and Toby could
offer no argument to the contrary.

Although he did quite as much towards the putting-up of the tent as the
others did, it was plain to be seen that he had lost his interest in
anything of the kind, and at least once every half-ho